Better Late Than Never
by RedneckGeek
Summary: Sometimes even though you think you're prepared, reality can throw you for a loop.


**A/N Needed to write something different from what I have been producing lately. Please Enjoy.**

**Thank You both Bamie02 and Hoosier65 for being sounding boards.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing in the bank account, therefore I don't own it**

He was sore; the stiches across his forehead were starting to sting a little, the hitch in his side increasing with a bit more every second, and the throbbing in his thigh making his limp more pronounced with each step he took. But he shoved it to the back of his mine as he strode with a purpose down the hallway. Several people, medical staff and visitors both, glanced at him in shock at his appearance, though he was pretty sure the wild eyed look on some of the staff was due to the occupant of the room he was looking for. Bloody, bruised and smelling like a six week old dead frog, but never again. It didn't matter what Bates, Granger, or Hetty promised or threatened, this would never happen again.

Sam was leaning against the wall outside the room with a smirk plastered on his face. "Don't worry Shaggy; she isn't going to kill you." The grin transformed into a full blown smile. "I just wouldn't stand anyplace where she can kick you." The retired Navy SEAL took in the appearance of the man who he now considered his younger brother. "Should you even be on your feet? Did you even get discharged from the ER?"

"Naw, had Callen cover for me." The blonde LAPD liaison ran his hands through his hair nervously. "Kensi doesn't have her pistol does she?" The hopeful look in Deeks eyes was enough to make the Senior Agent snort. "I promised I would be here."

"You got here as quick as you could. You couldn't blow your cover." Deeks nodded his head in agreement. If anything had happened to him, and had his cover been blown he most like would be dead, Kensi would bring him back to life just to kill him again, probably a lot slower and more excruciating. "She's good, Deeks, she isn't going to harm you. Much." Sam barely held back the laughter as Deeks swallowed audibly. "Hetty, on the other hand, is going to kill you if you left before being fully checked out."

"What's she going do? Take away my motorcycle again?" Deeks tried not to let the bitterness show through his voice. "Besides I'm utterly terrified at the thought of facing Kens right now. Hetty has nothing on a full blown Kensi rage."

"She understands Deeks." The red headed pixie exited the room into the hallway, and made her way behind him. Nell shoved his back with a force that surprised him, but really shouldn't after all the times he been partnered with her. "Go on get in there."

As he stumbled through the door he couldn't help the memories flashing through his mind on how they got here. How the two of them had tap danced around their thing for so long, when it really was more than a partnership from almost the very beginning. No it wasn't more than a partnership, it was a partnership that was more than just the job, it was a partnership on the clock and off, in the middle of an interrogation, a gunfight, bantering in the bullpen, at the beach, at home, during good times and bad.

*******NCIS LA*******

"_You're leaving me." Unshed tears pooled in mismatched eyes._

"_Really Kensi? After four years I am still not a part of this team. I had to get tortured to get Sam's respect, but I still get the double standard." The look on her face was ripping Deeks heart in two, but something had to change. "You still have your motorcycle, I don't. After all the shit we've been through, at the end of the day I'm still a cop and you all are better than me federal agents."_

"_And whose fault is that?" A bit of fire was coming back in Kensi's eyes. She couldn't accept blame for something she did was wrong._

"_You honestly think that would make a difference? Granger compares my going to Afghanistan as a National Lampoon's vacation movie, yet I had the team's back all the way. I rip out a piece of my soul over there, save everyone's ass, and I don't even get a thank you." He drew a deep breath, he didn't want to lose it, but the hurt and the anger was threatening to over whelm him. In some ways it already had. "I am the only one who hasn't gone off the rails without being pushed, but I am the one who has to be watched out for."_

"_But….."_

"_But nothing Kensi. You stood there in the boathouse and made me promise not to die on you. But you had no problem going off by yourself and handing yourself over to the Taliban to get answers. Hell you couldn't even send me a video, no it had to be for the entire team." The festering sore was open, Kensi could never again claim he never said what he meant. "I am supposed to believe you when you say nothing happened between you and Jack, but I don't get the same from you. You treat me like shit for Monica and Talia when nothing happened. Damn it Kensi, you punched me when I said you are beautiful. And people wonder why I have self-esteem issues."_

_Tears were running down her cheeks. "So where does that leave us, our thing?"_

_He raised his hands, and silently thanked God that Kensi didn't pull back as he cupped her face. "I want us. I want us twenty four seven, three hundred sixty five days a year. But as equals Kens." Deeks thumbs slowly wiped the tears from her face. "I can't take this crap anymore."_

"_What if I were to resign?" Whatever he thought she was going to say it certainly wasn't this._

"_I could never ask that of you."_

"_Where you go, I go. That's how we roll. Isn't that what you said? The entire reason I joined NCIS was to get answers on my dad's murder. I found closure on that, with your help. In fact I promised a beer every night for the rest of our lives, and it's time for me to follow through." It appeared that he wasn't the only one learning how to communicate, now if the two of them could only learn how to do it when their emotions weren't all over the place. "I am sor…."_

"_Don't." He placed a finger over her lips, knowing full well he was risking serious harm to his life and limbs by doing so. "Don't apologize. I know you're sorry. Just show me."_

"_I will spend the rest of my life showing you, proving to you, that I won't take you for granted ever again." Kensi hands came up to the back of his head as she stood on her tip toes to press her lips against Deeks. _

*******NCIS LA*******

Another gentle shove came from his back and Deeks stepped into the hospital room. He swore he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. It was right then and there that he knew he would never look at a hospital the same way again. Usually his visits to hospitals included blood, a lot of it and usually his, and some serious pain, both physically and emotionally. But now it was different, even though he was bloody and in pain, now something good had come out of his trip to the hospital. Those mismatched eyes were obviously tired, and the brunette hair was all sweaty and mussy, but there was a glow about Kensi as she looked down gently at the infant suckling at her breast. The vision before him even shut down his brain, because after seven years of partnership and nine months of pregnancy he really should have known better. "Well you certainly look thinner."

Kensi's head shot up and she rolled her eyes. "Really Deeks?" It was almost a snarl.

He scratched the back of his head nervously. "You know me, no brain to mouth filter."

Kensi's hand shot to cover her mouth as she got a good look at her partner. "What the hell happened to you? Are you ok?"

"Somebody thought lawyer was Portuguese for punching bag" He threw Kensi a lopsided grin.

"I thought you were trying to infiltrate some Albanians, and you don't even speak Portuguese."

"Might explain why I was tied up when I should have been here." Kensi could see how much pain he was in, and knew the banter was simply his way of dealing. "I'm sorry" Those blue eyes she loved so much were downcast. "I should have been here."

"It's ok. You're here now." Their little bundle of joy finished noisily, and Kensi shifted her gown as she raised the baby upto her shoulder, and gently patted the infant on the back. "Come here and meet our daughter."

Despite the seven and a half months of knowing this moment was coming, Deeks suddenly froze. Here was his chance, his beginning to prove that he was not the monster he was genetically related to. But he couldn't move. Every single moment of darkness he had ever done in his life came flooding back, his times as Max Gentry, the cleric in Afghanistan, the time he had to punch Kensi to sell her cover. Four steps was all it would take to reach everything he has ever wanted, and he couldn't move.

Kensi could see the war in his eyes and in his stance. Despite everything that happened, despite all the good the man had done the brunette knew her partner was questioning how he was worthy of this moment. For the last seven months it had been his patience and strength that got her through when Kensi had questioned her ability to be a mother. And now that their daughter was finally here, it was her turn to provide strength and patience while he questioned his ability to be a father. She shifted the little girl to cradle her against Kensi's chest and turned herself in bed, if he wasn't going to come to them, then Kensi would go to Deeks. She winced at the pain in her pelvic region, Kensi was positive she was not supposed to be walking yet, but Bad Ass Blye was never known for following the doctor's orders and she wasn't about to start now.

At her grimace, whatever blockade in Deeks mind broke, and he took a step forward. "What are you doing?"

"Getting up to come to you, since you're not coming to us mmmmhhhh…" The words hadn't even left Kensi's mouth before Deeks had crossed the distance between them and was kissing her.

He broke off the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, not even noticing the slight twinge when the stitches pulled with the skin movement. "I love you. I should have done that first thing."

"Yes you should have. I love you too." She reached up with her free hand and gently cupped his cheek, taking care not to press to hard against the massive bruise. "I know you're scared. But. You. Are. Not. Him."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know you. Because I know us." She leaned back against her bed. "Do you want to hold her?"

His hands clenched and unclenched several times. "What if I drop her?"

"If you drop her, I'll shoot you and then punch you in the bullet hole." Deeks actually took a step as Kensi heaved out an exasperated sigh. "I'm kidding Deeks. You're not going to drop her, just remember to support her head."

"Why hello there Natalie, I'm your Daddy." Kensi blamed the hormones on how quickly the tears formed in her eyes at how gently Deeks was holding Natalie. It was obvious that the little girl was the most precious thing on earth to Deeks. "She doesn't look like the picture."

"Deeks, those were all ultrasounds, of course she is not going to look like them."

"Not that one, the one in the box." The look on his face showed Kensi that Deeks was teasing. But she couldn't help but remember the pictures inside the third box. She had actually approached Nell for help in those pictures. Kensi could photoshop with the best of them, but the facial morphing program she had used for the pictures to prove that Kensi knew a family with her was Deeks heart's desire was beyond her skills. "That picture had sandy brown hair with brown eyes."

"Are you complaining?"

"Not at all. She's perfect." He brushed her lips with his. "You do good work."

"We do good work." She leaned back and simply watched her husband go through the same steps she had earlier, as he counted ten little fingers. Kensi let out a sigh of contentment, it had taken a long time to get here, but even with the bumps in the road along the way there was no other place she would rather be.

**Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review. I can't get better without constructive criticism. **


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